Manjoume: "My turn, draw!"
The field was suppressed once more, and his Life Points were again in a disadvantageous state. Manjoume gritted his teeth. Doesn't this mean it's no different from before? All this effort, all this preparation... He absolutely could not allow himself to fall again. Not here, and not in front of this guy again.
"Quick-Play Spell 'Burial from a Different Dimension', return up to three Monster Cards from your banished zone to the Graveyard. I return 'Dark End Dragon', banished by VWXYZ, to the Graveyard!"
The phantom of the black giant dragon reappeared, sinking back into the vortex of the Graveyard.
"Then I activate Equip Spell 'Premature Burial'!"
Manjoume revealed a card from his hand.
"I pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Attack Position, and equip this card to it!"
[Manjoume, LP 1000 → LP 200]
He willingly paid Life Points down to a flicker of light. A dark vortex erupted in the Graveyard, and the black, terrifying giant dragon appeared for a second time from the surging dark current!
"Revive Dark End Dragon!"
[Dark End Dragon, ATK 2600]
On the grandstand, the senior female student said: "Dark End Dragon is revived once more. If Manjoume uses Dark End Dragon's ability to deal with VWXYZ, a direct attack would be a complete reversal for Manjoume."
"Indeed." The senior male student next to her also nodded. "Dark End Dragon, Manjoume's quasi-new ace, is truly a monster with terrifying abilities."
"But 'Dark End Dragon', revived through such means, loses its destruction resistance," Yu Xuan said. "Then I activate my Set card, Trap Card 'Bottomless Trap Hole'!
When your opponent Summons a monster with 1500 or more ATK, immediately destroy and banish it from the game."
A pitch-black pit opened beneath Dark End Dragon's feet, leading directly to a different dimension. Dark End Dragon, having lost its Hardened Arm Dragon's resistance, was completely unable to resist.
"As expected, I knew it wouldn't be that easy to pass!" Manjoume roared. "Quick-Play Spell 'Light and Darkness Reversal'!
By Tributing one LIGHT or DARK monster on my field, Special Summon one LIGHT or DARK monster with the opposite Attribute from my hand!" (Original effect)
This was also a card of Manjoume's from the manga, which was later made into a real card after over a decade of effect modifications.
"I Tribute 'Dark End Dragon', a DARK Attribute monster on the field!"
A dark storm swirled, and the black giant dragon was instantly engulfed. Following this was a dazzling burst of light, a shimmering and sacred radiance. The light was like the rising sun, piercing through the curtain of darkness.
"Dispel the darkness, let the light illuminate, illuminating the path to victory—
——Light End Dragon, Summon!!!"
Appearing from the brilliance, a colossal and majestic dragon with eyes like dazzling diamonds and wings spread like immense light-wings, unleashed a dazzling curtain of light, like a sacred halo, displaying its majesty and power to the fullest.
[Light End Dragon, ATK 2600]
This was also Manjoume's first time revealing his new ace monster in public. Such a powerful and beautiful form, this sacred, radiant dragon contrasted sharply with the dark dragon that had just departed.
"You still kept a strategy against traps in hand, huh?" Yu Xuan chuckled. "Isn't that quite an improvement?"
"Hmph, your infuriating attitude ends here!"
Manjoume revealed two more cards from his hand.
"Spell Card 'Curious Clover'! By discarding a Level 4 Plant-Type monster from my hand, one monster on my field can attack twice this turn!
I discard 'Killer Tomato', a Plant-Type monster from my hand. This way, 'Light End Dragon' can attack twice!"
The senior female student on the stands frowned in confusion: "But even so, Light End Dragon's ATK can't surpass Dragon Catapult Cannon's. Even with an additional attack, it's meaningless."
But no one doubted that Manjoume had another trick up his sleeve.
"Battle, 'Light End Dragon' attacks 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon'!"
Onlookers outside the arena: "Attacking with a monster with lower ATK!?"
Manjoume roared: "At this moment, 'Light End Dragon''s effect activates! When Light End Dragon battles, its own ATK decreases by 500, and the ATK of the opponent's monster it battles decreases by 1500 until the end of the turn!"
Manjoume raised his arm.
"Light Expansion!!!"
Dazzling white light erupted from the white dragon's body, the blinding radiance dominating the entire field, engulfing the colossal steel machine.
[Light End Dragon, ATK 2600 → ATK 2100]
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000 → ATK 1500]
Spectators: "Its ATK has surpassed!"
"This way, Light End Dragon has the advantage. Crush that machina!" Manjoume declared.
The incandescent light, fierce as a blazing fire, instantly pierced through VWXYZ's heavy armor. A series of explosive sounds followed; the indestructible combined body became riddled with holes, like a ruined fortress battered by a storm, and collapsed with a rumble.
[Yu Xuan, LP 1900 → LP 1300]
"This is the final blow!"
Manjoume roared.
"Go, receive 'Curious Clover''s effect, Light End Dragon's second attack!!!
Shining Sublimation!!!"
White light surged like raging waves, and within the light curtain, thousands of sharp blades seemed to cut towards Yu Xuan. At that moment, Manjoume instinctively held his breath, his eyes wide as if fearing to miss even a single instant.
I won!
But he didn't.
BOOM!!!
The strong light struck an ethereal barrier. A semi-transparent mechanical body materialized in front of Yu Xuan, blocking his fatal attack.
"Nani!?" Manjoume gasped.
"The 'Kiteroid' in my Graveyard," Yu Xuan smiled, "can make direct battle damage to the player become 0 once. You discarded it with 'Card Destruction'. It seems there's a risk with hand-swapping effects for both sides, doesn't there?"
"Ugh," Manjoume's face twitched.
Kiteroid.
That feeling, so close, the moment a long-cherished wish was finally about to be fulfilled, only to suddenly find it was all a pipe dream. It almost required a rapid-acting heart medicine.
But the advantage is still mine!
"...Then I Set one card on the field. My turn ends," Manjoume said coldly. He still held his last trump card, his final chance.
"Then my turn, draw!" Yu Xuan said. "Spell Card 'Pot of Benevolence', if your opponent has a Special Summoned monster on their field and you have no monsters on your field, draw two cards." (Original Card)
After drawing, he then revealed one of the cards in his hand.
"Equip Spell 'Dimensional Destructor Cannon - Super Thunder Union'!
This card can Special Summon 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon' from my Graveyard in Attack Position, ignoring its Summoning conditions, and equip this card to it. The equipped monster's effects are negated." (Original Card)
This was also a support card Manjoume used in the anime, which was never made into a real card.
"By this card's effect, 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon' revives!"
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000]
"And then, the effect of 'Machina Fortress' in the Graveyard. This card can be Special Summoned from the Graveyard by discarding Machine-Type monsters from my hand whose total Levels are 8 or more.
I discard the Level 8 'Machina Overdrive' from my hand, and 'Machina Fortress' revives!"
The vortex leading to the underworld opened, and the fully armed fortress returned to the field.
[Machina Fortress, ATK 2500]
The senior female student swallowed: "In an instant, he's Special Summoned two more powerful high-level monsters and rewritten the situation..." In this era, most duelists still found it quite difficult to Summon a high-level monster. Those who could continuously bring out powerful monsters like the two on the field were already among the elite. Are this year's new students really all monsters?
"Battle," Yu Xuan said. "'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon' attacks 'Light End Dragon'!"
All of Dragon Catapult Cannon's barrels locked on simultaneously. Brilliant energy beams and rocket barrages fired in unison. The offensive was like a roaring fire dragon intending to devour Light End Dragon.
Senior female student: "He knows Light End Dragon's effect, yet he still attacks?"
In this situation, according to calculations, it seemed Machina Fortress should attack first. If Machina Fortress attacked first, Light End Dragon would activate its effect, Machina Fortress's ATK would drop to 1000, and Light End Dragon would be 1600. Fortress would be destroyed, and Yu Xuan would take 600 damage. Then VWXYZ would attack, Light End Dragon would activate its effect again, Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK would drop to 1500, but Light End Dragon would only have 1100 left. Manjoume's LP would be 200, and if the attack went through, it would be Yu Xuan's victory.
So why attack with VWXYZ first? A miscalculation?
"I don't know what you're planning... But at this moment, 'Light End Dragon''s effect activates!" Manjoume declared. "Its own ATK decreases by 500, and Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK decreases by 1500!
Light Expansion!"
[Light End Dragon, ATK 2100 → ATK 1600]
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3000 → ATK 1500]
"I don't know what fallback you're considering, but this strike will be the finale!"
Manjoume roared, sweeping his hand to flip open his last backrow card.
"During the Damage Calculation Step, activate Set card! Quick-Play Spell - 'Forbidden Chalice'! One face-up monster on the field gains 400 ATK, and its effects are negated!"
"Oh? This card..." Yu Xuan quickly understood Manjoume's intention. "So you're negating..."
"Hahahaha! That's right, what I'm negating is the effect of my own 'Light End Dragon'!"
Manjoume burst into laughter.
"Light End Dragon's effect is negated, so its ATK, which decreased due to its own effect, recovers, and it gains an additional 400 ATK!"
[Light End Dragon, ATK 1600 → ATK 2600 → ATK 3000]
The onlookers couldn't help but exclaim.
"He negated his own effect to restore ATK, cleverly used a side effect, and even gained extra ATK!"
"Light End Dragon's ATK reduction is a continuous effect, so once it's negated, its ATK recovers. But its effect to reduce the opponent's monster's ATK is an activation-type effect, so Dragon Catapult Cannon's ATK will remain at 1500 until the End Phase."
If the battle were to go through, Yu Xuan would take 1500 damage, turning into Manjoume's desperate counterattack!
Manjoume: "This is it! Light End Dragon, counterattack! Shining Sublimation!"
"Don't rush," Yu Xuan smiled, interrupting his chant. "Activate Set card, Trap Card - Intercepting Shield!" (Original Card)
This was a Trap used by Yami Yugi/Atem in the original series, the King had used this card to cover Kaiba, an old card from the DM era.
"Tribute one monster on your field, and that monster's DEF is added to the target monster's ATK." Yu Xuan said, "Because it's an ATK modification effect, it can be activated during the Damage Calculation Step.
And because it's during the Damage Calculation Step, even if the number of monsters on the field changes, it won't cause a replay."
Manjoume's face subtly changed: "Nani!?"
"Therefore, I Tribute 'Machina Fortress'. Its DEF of 1600 points is added to 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon'."
Machina Fortress dissipated into golden light. Energy surged into Dragon Catapult Cannon's body; the previously weakened steel giant instantly became fully energized!
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 1500 → ATK 3100]
Everyone couldn't help but exclaim again: "Its ATK has surpassed again!"
The senior female student couldn't help but clutch her continuously heaving chest: "Under such circumstances, he actually..."
"Damn it..." Manjoume's expression twisted.
He had come so far, yet he still couldn't cross this barrier?
But it wasn't over yet.
For 'Intercepting Shield''s activation, Machina Fortress had already been Tributed. Yu Xuan no longer had any means of attacking. Although Light End Dragon couldn't be saved, he would still have 100 Life Points left.
It's not over yet.
"Why do you think I chose to attack with 'VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon'?" Yu Xuan suddenly asked.
Manjoume was stunned.
Huh? How should I know why you did?
"I don't know why, but I just felt that ending the duel with you with this guy felt more appropriate," Yu Xuan smiled. "Of course, the prerequisite is to have the confidence to land the finishing blow. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful to the opponent, wouldn't it?"
Manjoume's pupils constricted.
What do you mean, confidence to land the finishing blow? Can he still have a trick up his sleeve at this point?
"I activate Trap Card 'Skill Successor' from the Graveyard." Yu Xuan revealed a Trap Card that popped out of his Graveyard. "During my turn, by banishing this card from my Graveyard, one monster on my field gains 800 ATK until the End Phase!"
[VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon, ATK 3100 → ATK 3900]
Manjoume's eyes widened.
Activating from the Graveyard? How do you still have traps even in your Graveyard?
Could it be another initial hand discard...
Manjoume was about to vomit blood.
What kind of internal ghost hand erase...
"This is the finale," Yu Xuan declared. "VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon's attack!
Divine Justice!"
A barrage of rockets swept across the field, artillery fire raging. Light End Dragon was helplessly engulfed under the concentrated firepower, causing a series of explosions on Manjoume's side of the field.
[Manjoume, LP 200 → LP 0]
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